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Kittanning Path: Difference between revisions
writing the article/tutorial
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=== This page is currently under construction for use in a little tutorial on writing short articles. === | === This page is currently under construction for use in a little tutorial on writing short articles. === | ||
This will be a rough draft, not a finished product. It will be used to demonstrate a way to research and rough draft at the same time. Remember: <u>Rough Draft</u> No worries at this time about anything but committing raw research information to the page. (I'll have the article finished in its polished form by 3 PM MST today.) | This will be a rough draft, not a finished product. It will be used to demonstrate a way to research and rough draft at the same time. Remember: <u>Rough Draft</u> No worries at this time about anything but committing raw research information to the page. You may choose to do this rough draft/research in your sandbox or on the New Page depending on how long you think it will take you to write the article. If you use the New Page, remember to '''save''' your work often. (I've lost many a rough draft because I forgot that step.) (I'll have the article finished in its polished form by 3 PM MST today.) | ||
'''Rough Draft''': reading the article and gathering the information and facts that you want to include. | '''There will be three primary stages of your article: ''' | ||
'''Rough Draft''': reading the article and gathering the information and facts that you want to include. You can just use words, phrases or rough sentences, your choice. | |||
'''Writing the article: '''putting your information and facts into sentences and paragraphs. Read the article aloud to yourself and it will help you to catch little mistakes. ''What your eye will miss, your ears will surely hear.'' | '''Writing the article: '''putting your information and facts into sentences and paragraphs. Read the article aloud to yourself and it will help you to catch little mistakes. ''What your eye will miss, your ears will surely hear.'' | ||
'''Polishing the article:''' which will include adding links, changing headings, adding a photo, editing the finished product over and over. Switch the article into wiki text in order to catch spelling errors. Rich Editor does not have a spell check feature, but wiki text does. | '''Polishing the article:''' which will include adding links, changing headings, adding a photo, editing the finished product over and over. Switch the article into wiki text in order to catch spelling errors. Rich Editor does not have a spell check feature, but wiki text does. Ask another Wiki volunteer to read over and edit your page at this point. Don't be protective about your work. Even the very best and well known authors utilize and appreciate the services of an editor, often more than one of them. Once you've committed the words to the page, let it go. It is no longer yours but it now belongs to the community. | ||
'''Here are some points to remember: '''<br> | '''Here are some points to remember: '''<br> | ||
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'''Paraphrasing''': Part of the research process, it involves gathering information and facts from other sources and paraphrasing what you find, versus copying what you find. None of us are going to travel to Pennsylvania, measure the pathway and gather information at it's source. Instead, we will read the information gathered by others and paraphrase, picking and choosing which pieces of information are useful to us. (Some writers use quotation marks around various phrases and then attribute the work to the original authors but it is a lazy and distracting writing technique.) Here are some generalized points about paraphrasing: <br> | '''Paraphrasing''': Part of the research process, it involves gathering information and facts from other sources and paraphrasing what you find, versus copying what you find. None of us are going to travel to Pennsylvania, measure the pathway and gather information at it's source. Instead, we will read the information gathered by others and paraphrase, picking and choosing which pieces of information are useful to us. (Some writers use quotation marks around various phrases and then attribute the work to the original authors but it is a lazy and distracting writing technique.) Here are some generalized points about paraphrasing: <br> | ||
1)Never copy a sentence.<br> | 1) Never copy a sentence.<br> | ||
2)Change wording at least every 5-7 words.<br> | 2) Change wording at least every 5-7 words.<br> | ||
3)Often the ending of a sentence can be used as the beginning of your own sentence.<br> | 3) Often the ending of a "research" sentence can be used as the beginning of your own sentence. (Transposing the sentence)<br> | ||
4)Look for words that can be substituted for words that are common in the article:<br> | 4) Look for words that can be substituted for words that are common in the article:<br> | ||
a) Area, location, locale and Vicinity can frequently be interchangably<br> | a) Area, location, locale and Vicinity can frequently be interchangably<br> | ||
b) Living, inhabiting, lived, inhabited, resided in, can be interchanged<br> | b) Living, inhabiting, lived, inhabited, resided in, can be interchanged<br> | ||
c) Native American, First Nation People, American Indian Tribe, Cherokee people, Choctaw people, etc. (Never terms like Redskins, Indians etc.) Be PC.<br> | c) Native American, First Nation People, American Indian Tribe, Cherokee people, Choctaw people, etc. (Never terms like Redskins, Indians etc.) Be PC.<br> | ||